Fiji Curry

Ingredients

• 4-5 lbs beef or pork or lamb or chicken meat, cut into cubes
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 6-12 garlic cloves, mashed together with salt (or substitute a chicken or beef bouillon cube)
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
• 3 small hot red chili peppers (or cayenne pepper, to taste)
• 1-2 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 cup fresh coriander or cilantro, chopped
• 2-4 potatoes, diced
• 2 carrots, diced (or a seasonal vegetable like eggplant)
• 1/3 cup yogurt

Directions

1. 1

   Mash the garlic and salt in a bowl. Add just a bit of water to make a paste.

2. 2

   Add the cumin seed, fenugreek seed, coriander seed, black mustard seed, curry powder and tumeric powder plus red chili to taste and pound to a smooth paste.

3. 3

   Use a blender to make the garlic and spice mix. Add just enough water to blend. I use a bouillon cube instead of salt.

4. 4

   Add a handful of chopped fresh coriander leaves and cook in a heavy pot over medium heat until thick.

5. 5

   Add the meat to the sauce. Stir to coat the meat and partially cover, stirring occasionally. You may add 2 teaspoons sugar (8 g) and 1 teaspoon salt (4 g) about half-way through to "make it tender".

6. 6

   When the vegetables are added depends on how long they will take to cook. Add the diced potatoes, diced carrots, 1/2 chopped large onion, some fresh coriander and finish cooking.

7. 7

   The meat shrinks a lot cooked this way, but the flavor is intensified and the sauce stays thick. It should coat the meat almost like a glaze. Cook on lower heat if you like, but the result will be more of a broth.

8. 8

   At the end, add some more chopped onion and stir in the yogurt plus more fresh coriander to garnish.

9. 9

   Serve with chutney, rice and tortillas or chapatis if available. The proper way to eat this is to tear off a piece of tortilla or chapti and scoop some curry up with it. It's finger lickin' good!